Primate of the Church of Nigeria,Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, has joined in the bashing of those opposed to capital punishment in the country, saying they are ill-informed.
The Influential religious leader was reacting to the objection of foreign countries and international bodies on the recent execution of four inmates in Benin, Edo state.
The United Nations, Amnesty International and European Union, among others had opposed the action of the state government.
But the cleric urged the federal and state governments not to allow itself to be cajoled, advocating the imposition of capital punishment on people guilty of heinous crimes, particularly on rapists and killers.
At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Okoh stated that the Amnesty International and others had no justification to have criticised the government’s action, since they were not directly or indirectly affected by the action of the criminals.
“Government should not allow anybody or organisation to teach it what morality is. The law of capital punishment for those who rightly deserve it should be enforced,” he said.
Lamenting the scenario that led to the judgement of the inmates, Okoh said the gang robbed a woman, raped, and finally murdered her.
“Where is the human right of this woman? Meanwhile, the armed robbers involved had been executed, and people are crying for the human rights of the armed robbers,” he said.
“What I am saying is that the Federal Government should not allow people to teach them morals. For me, anybody who has degenerated to the level of depravity deserves capital punishment and it should be enforced.
Continuing, “It is not true to say that punishment does not deter crime! It does. The difference between our society and society outside is that, we have laws which are not enforced.
“Nigerians outside obey laws, but as soon as they come back here, they feel above the law because if they contravene the law and law enforcing agents approach them, they will say ‘do you know who I am’
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